Quoth The Raven
by Neshira Namea
Summary: When Raven returns to Jump City after a long absence things are just as she remembers, mostly. The Titans will be glad to have her back when a new threat appears more deadly than any they've faced before.  Told from Raven's POV. T for possible violence.
1. prologue and Chapter 1  Changes

**A/N:**_ Hey guys! Welcome to the prologue and first chapter of my newest fic! As you can see this is a Teen Titans fanfiction! It will be told entirely from Raven's perspective (with tie-in side stories that are told by others). As usual this is a first draft so expect some spelling/grammar errors in it. I hope you like it! Art for this story coming soon to my Deviantart page! 3 _

_Oh! And normally the prologue would be in a separate chapter, but it seemed silly to me since it was so short, so they're in one!_

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**Prologue** - Changes

As life goes on, people grow and change. This is something that everyone learns sooner or later, regardless of who they are. I guess, I just learned it sooner than most people. Most teenagers think they're invincible, think they know everything, think...that nothing can ever change. Most teenagers aren't me. I know that I'm not invincible and I've almost died a few times to drive that idea home. I understand that I don't know everything so I read because I want to know all that I can about anything...and I know things change. That's why I'm not with the Teen Titans anymore, because things changed, at least they did for me. After Tokyo I just sort of...left. I wonder how long it took them to notice. After all, I did have the habit of spending a lot of time alone in my room. I left them notes sitting on my desk and part of me wonders if they ever got them, or if they hate me. It's not good to be hated by the Titans, as many have found out over the years.

They can't rightly be called the _Teen_ Titans anymore I guess. Robin would have just turned 20 last week and no one really knows how old Cy's human parts are but I think he's the oldest. It makes me wonder if they dropped the Teen part. I wouldn't know. When I had left Jump city almost 3 years ago I decided that I would never return, I was gone and it was time for me to make my own way.

In spite of all that, I floated over Jump city, staring at the big lone T on its little island as though it were the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. At that moment, it was. I wondered idly how much had changed. I wasn't 16 anymore and neither were my former teammates. A chill wind blew my cloak out around me and I floated up before the moon, letting my shape show in the center of that snowy orb. I was back. "That's right..." I whispered, my voice low and husky. It might have been Serendipity as a single lone bird flew past me and landed on the roof. I studied it, and then laughed when I saw that it was my own namesake, a Raven. "I'm home."

**Chapter 1** – Black Magic

As I approached the entrance to the tower the first thing I noticed was the lock. It was definitely newer and more high tech than the last we'd had. I doubted the old code still worked but I stepped in front of it anyway and gasped as a blue light surrounded me and a mechanized female voice spoke. "Identifying...please speak your name."

For a moment I was speechless, and then at the repeated request from the computer generated voice I finally found my own. "Raven." I said quietly.

"Please wait one moment. " The light abruptly disappeared before the voice returned. "State position, Titan, Honorary Titan, or visitor."

I had no idea what to say, so I simply answered with what I felt. "Titan."

"Please show communicator."

The small round object was easy to unclip from my belt, I often did just to look at it and remember. I held it up, the yellow painted metal with its large black T prominent on the front. When the computer did not respond I opened it and held it up again. The light scanned the walkie this time and I saw it turn itself on in response, coming to life in my hand. Finally the voice spoke again. "Welcome. Due to identity inconsistencies you have been labeled as a visitor. Please know that you will be watched upon entering the building. You have been warned." I didn't know that computerized voices could be so intimidating, but this one was at that moment and I nodded before stepping in the now open doors.

"Brr..." I muttered under my breath, turning the communicator off and re-clipping it to my belt. An elevator stood before me and I punched a button I knew well, even though the floor number had been long worn from its lit surface by countless touchings. It felt good to see something familiar either way and I almost smiled as the elevator rode me up to the common room. As soon as it opened blue light surrounded me again and a harsh male voice spoke, definitely not computerized.

"State your name and business. We weren't expecting visitors today." I knew the voice, though it was deeper than last time I'd heard it.

"Cy..." I almost used his nickname, but instead I continued to the full word, afraid he'd take familiarity as an insult. "...borg. It's me, Raven." I had to close my eyes against the glare of his blue-lit plasma cannon but I trusted the half-machine not to shoot once he heard my voice. Unlike his, mine hadn't changed very much at all in the years.

From behind closed lids I saw the blue light vanish and when I opened my eyes his face was close to mine, studying me from all angles through both his human and cybertronic eyes. Somehow, he'd grown taller, and he now towered well over six feet. If I'd felt short before it was nothing compared to how tiny I felt standing in his shadow. "Holy shit...Rae! It _is_ you! You shrink?"

"No, you just grew and I didn't." It was true. Sadly I'd remained decidedly petite and it was doubtful that I'd grow much more. My hair was slightly longer than it had been, now just past my shoulders but otherwise not much had changed. Even my uniform was pretty much the same, except that my leotard was now fully black on my arms and legs with the dark blue part on my torso, gloves, and boots. My old belt had broken a while back, so I now wore a silver one instead with amethysts that held energy and matched the stone in my forehead set into it. "I'm glad you're still here."

He seemed speechless and I found myself caught up in a tight half mechanical hug that nearly shattered my bones. Normally such physical contact wasn't exactly something I liked, but in this case I simply hugged him back with a small smile on my face. He'd always been like a brother to me and it was great to see him again, even I had to admit I was happy. "I can't believe you're back! Aw man...the others are going to freak. Star and BB are out but Robin's in the gym, he sent me to check out the unidentified visitor alert. C'mon!" His excitement showed plainly all across his face and I nodded, unable to do anything else but be led back into the elevator. He hummed a tune as we rode down and chattered on about everything that was happening with the Titans. It seemed like nothing had changed at all, except for me being gone, and that lifted my spirits greatly.

The sound of iron met us in the gym and I saw a shape move itself from the shadows, resolving into a shirtless young man with a pole arm in his hand, ready to defend himself. "It's alright man, it's Raven!" Cyborg cheered, stepping in front of me so that the team leader wouldn't lash out.

"Raven? No way!" As usual Robin wore his mask, leaving his eyes completely covered. As an empath, I could sense his surprise and disbelief, so I stepped out from behind Cy and waved. If his eyes were visible I may have called his gaze calculating as he looked me up and down but in all honesty I have no idea. Finally he put the pole down and smiled. "It really is you." Something told me that it wasn't the last time I'd be hearing those words today. "You're back..."

"Yeah.." I stepped forward and he held out his hand to shake mine, but changed his mind midway through and pulled me into a strong brotherly hug. "Good to see you're still around." Our minds met between us, a link reforged after so long of being severed. I had been inside of Robin's innermost thoughts and he had known my deepest secrets. Ours was a mental bond that would never fully vanish. It could snap but the moment we were near each other once more that connection reset itself. Even I had no idea what that connection was or could do but it brought me comfort to realize that someone in the world could be that close to me without feeling fear.

Like Cyborg he'd grown quite a bit and I had to look up more than before to meet his covered eyes. His hair was also a bit longer, but still spiked as though gravity had no effect on him. Considering how he fought, it could be close to the truth. "Like I'd leave. This is home."

Somehow that felt like a direct barb at me and I looked down. It was always Robin who showed me why I was wrong, and this time was no different. "I'm sorry..."

He slapped his own forehead. "That's not what I meant Raven...it's great to see you again...are you..." He seemed not to know how to say the rest for a second. "I mean...Are you back for good? You gonna be a Titan again?" It was odd, looking up into that masked gaze as I had so many times before, but I didn't particularly mind the deja vu'.

It was the question I'd hoped for since the moment I stepped into the building and I nodded with more enthusiasm than I usually showed anything. "If there's room for one more, I'd like that."

"You're in luck, it looks like we've had an opening for a while and something tells me you'd fit perfectly." Cyborg joked, ruffling my hair. In the spirit of homecoming, I didn't glare at him for that. A loud crash resounded upstairs and Robin looked up before pulling a shirt over his head and glancing at the half metal man, who just chuckled. "Looks like BB and Star are home; c'mon...we'll make you a into big surprise for them."

"I know one person in particular who will be very happy to see you..." Robin muttered.

Of course I assumed he meant Starfire. It had to be lonely being the only girl and though I wasn't exactly the ideal companion for her, we had grown close in the years I was with them. I was eager to see her too in fact, even if I hid it with my usual expressionless mask. Somehow though, hers wasn't the face that popped into my head. That face was young, childish, fanged, and green. I shook the image away quickly and instead nodded up at the both of them. It had been wonderful to see Cyborg and Robin again but the idea of seeing those two upstairs was even more exciting to me and nerves jittered in my hands. Would they resent me for leaving or be happy I'd returned? Desperately I hoped for the latter. It was in Starfire's nature to be forgiving and sweet. I guessed she would simply want to hug me and chatter about old times. Beast Boy however had a tendency to hold grudges, especially when he felt betrayed. I couldn't blame him for that, many people had used and mistreated him in his life. As an empath only I could feel the pain and resentment that so often churned beneath his joyful exteriour. Maybe knowing that it was possible he'd be angry at me was why my heart was pounding faster than usual.

As we rode up the elevator both of my brother figures continued to shoot glances at me and I wondered what was going on in their heads. The emotions radiating from both of them were confusion, excitement, anticipation, and happiness presumably at having me back. I was curious where some of those came from but refused to let it bother me and instead stared at the ground. It may have been the longest elevator ride in my life. When the metal doors opened Robin stepped out first and from behind Cyborg I could see him hug and kiss Starfire shyly. The sight made me chuckle on the inside. It was good that they'd stayed together, I was never worried though. Robin and Starfire were made for each other; any of us who know them would say the same. I didn't know why my eyes were searching for someone else, or if I did I didn't acknowledge it, and instead watched the half machine walk out, still cleverly using his bulk to block me from view. Apparently someone wasn't fooled. "Who else is in the elevator?" A suspicious male voice asked. The speaker was hidden but something about the tone was familiar. "I can smell someone."

Starfire's emerald eyes widened. "There is someone in the elevator? Please Robin, tell us who it is! Do we have a guest? I could make some Umglorf for dinner to welcome them!" As usual the alien princess was all boundless energy and joy, swaying this way and that as she floated a few feet above ground.

"Wait, is Umglorf that stuff that was green and kind of smelled like Mustard and chocolate mixed together?" I asked suspiciously, choosing that moment to reveal myself. Utter shock registered on her face and I could tell that she recognized me instantly. Girls were more observant, either that or Starfire was just particularly good at realizing that someone who looks like an older version of your friend probably is.

Cyborg nodded in response to my question, making a disgusted face at the mention of one of the disgusting dishes that hailed from our resident princess' home planet. I barely saw that face as a shape hurled itself at me. Unsurprising from the girl who could technically fly at the speed of light Starfire had crossed the distance between us in an instant and was hugging me tightly to her. For the second time in less than an hour I was almost crushed until she remembered her Tamaranian strength and loosened up to a slightly more human level. I hugged her back happily, finding that she had also grown, though thankfully not by much. I was still shorter than her, but smelling the familiar scent of exotic sweet fruit that always came from her I really didn't care. It was good to once more be near the person who could probably be labeled as my "Best Friend" if anyone could. Her deep red hair was the same as always, though currently held in a low tail and she seemed to be wearing a white sun dress. "Oh Raven! It has been so long! I have missed you, we all have missed you! Beast Boy seldom goes one day without mentioning you in conversation and we all have wondered where you were! Please please tell us you are staying to join us once more!" A stream of words came from her with almost no pause for breath in between and occasionally interrupted by a foreign term. That was just her way. An excited Starfire is a talkative one.

I chuckled and nodded, a gesture I realized she couldn't see since her arms were still around me. Luckily Robin spoke up for me. "She's staying Star. Raven's decided to be a Titan again."

Finally she let go of me and I turned to the area I'd been unable to see from inside the elevator with a small smirk in place. Faced with the Alien's enthusiasm at seeing me it was impossible not to smile. Beast boy stood there, leaning against the wall and looking at me with narrowed speculative eyes. He was taller than Robin, I realized, and as green as ever, but somehow staying completely quiet and not even twitching. At one time the changeling had been unable to sit still, had that changed? His slit-pupiled gaze surveyed me dispassionately just as I studied him with carefully veiled curiosity. He seemed to be dressed in civilian clothes consisting of black jeans with a grey top that had purple vines trailing over the right shoulder. Green muscular arms were crossed and the most colourful of the Titans simply stared with no expression on that face I'd so often seen smiling. After what felt like a lifetime of silence, he spoke. "Welcome back. Try not to let the door catch on your cape on the way out." With that, he turned and walked into the elevator revealing that his hair had grown as a long ponytail swung behind him. I stepped forward, reaching out just as the doors closed and I heard the machine move him up towards the living floor where his room was. I didn't realize how close I was to tears until I noticed my hands shaking violently and quickly shut down the leak on my emotions. Once more putting up my emotionless wall I turned back to the others, who all looked on with concerned expressions.

"He's probably just tired..." Cyborg said quietly. His human eye was looking at me, but I could see the mechanical one focusing on the elevator after the shape-shifter. His concern was twofold. In his emotions I felt worry for me and the green boy both. Considering how close the two of them were it wasn't surprising.

"Don't worry about him Raven, you know Beast Boy, he'll be grinning and joking with you again tomorrow, it's just a shock to see you, that's all." Robin attempted. His cool head prevailed as usual and he put a large hand on my shoulder.

Starfire nodded rapidly. "He was most deeply affected by your disappearance. I am certain that he is happy to see you on the inside!"

I smiled. "It's okay guys. He has every right to be angry at me. Who wants pizza? I'll buy." Hoping to break the tension, I walked to where the phone had been and ordered delivery, our old usual set of two large pepperonis, one large Veggie Pizza, and One large supreme pizza with gumdrops, anchovies, pudding, and skittles on top. The last was of course Starfire's favourite and she never could understand why the rest of us were sickened by it. Luckily she could eat the entire thing by herself, so I didn't pity her too much. They all smiled, obviously glad to see that his resentment hadn't deeply affected me. At least that was how I played it because in reality it hurt more than I could admit to them, even if I did deserve it. On the other end a man told me that our pizza would be ready for pick up in half an hour and Cyborg drafted me into going with him to get it, eager to show me the "new and improved T-car". As much as I had feared my homecoming, it almost seemed like things were _normal_ in Titans Tower. Well mostly. Time hadn't stopped when I left and I'd be stupid to expect it to, regardless of how much I could want that. Either way, it may not have stopped but time certainly hadn't left as big of a mark as I'd feared on my friends. There were changes of course. Everyone changes in those teenage years I'd missed, but we were still the Titans. Yes, Time hadn't left any irreparable marks on the people I cared about most, but what about me? Had I been scarred beyond restoration, beyond realization, beyond...redemption?

ooo

With empty pizza boxes littering the kitchen a few hours later I sighed and watched as the others slowly fell to drowsiness and finally migrated to their rooms, each wishing me a good night and stating once more how happy they were to see me before vanishing away. After seeing how they acted around each other it shouldn't have surprised me that I sensed both Starfire and Robin disappear into his room, but it was amusing all the same. One box of pizza stood untouched however and I put the veggie pizza in the oven, warming it before carrying both the box and a plate out of the kitchen. I phased upwards in the hallway, through the ceiling to the corridor that held our bedrooms. It seemed like yesterday since last I'd been in the tower and finding my destination was effortless even in the darkness. There, beside the door his name was prominent and I traced the engraved words with my hand then knocked quietly.

"Who is it?" Called the deep voice inside.

"It's...me. Raven." I answered very softly. It didn't matter, his keen ears would hear me no matter how quietly I spoke. Silence answered, so I tried again with something more enticing than that. "We got pizza, I brought you some. It's Veggie pizza, no meat at all, I promise." I felt foolish, cajoling him from outside his door as he had done to me many times, but the empath in me needed to feel resolution. If I was going to be a Titan again bitterness couldn't exist between myself and any of my team members, even the grass stain. I hated to admit it, but I also craved resolution for myself. Beast Boy was my friend, or had been, and it was distressing to feel so shut out by him. Was that how he'd felt all those years that I'd been cold towards him? Suddenly I didn't want the answer to that, guilt is not my favourite emotion.

Finally I heard him sigh and stand on the other side of the door, then suddenly sit back down. "Come in. You don't need me to open the door." Was I not worth the short walk or did he just feel like it was pointless seeing as I could go through walls? Why did that even matter to me?

Surrounding myself with dark energy I once more phased, this time through his door. Looking around the room I was half surprised to see that it hadn't really changed since last time I had been there. It was still messy, that was for sure. Comics were stacked in precariously balanced towers in the corner and Clothing was strewn on the floor. I navigated my way through without stepping on a single pair of boxers or bit of trash. It took some skill but eventually I stood before him. He looked up at me from where he sat on the bottom bunk of his bed with his hair down and falling over his shoulders. Again I shouldn't have been surprised he still had that childish piece of furniture. He slept alone and yet he'd always insisted on that impractical bed, perhaps some sort of compensation for his lost childhood or something.

It seemed like time had stopped. Either that or we were looking at the floor in silence for a long time. Either way, eventually he spoke. "Hey."

"Hey." Deep conversationalists that we were, those two syllables rang in the empty air for more painful moments.

"Thanks for the pizza." There is a difference between comfortable and uncomfortable silence. I believe it should be obvious which this was but just in case it's not, the silence was torturous and even those four words were a welcome relief.

"You're welcome. Want company?" I noticed he didn't look as though he was asleep when I arrived. His computer screen flickered, and it looked like there was a video game paused on it. "Um...if you're busy I could..." The sentence died in my throat. Screw that. I wasn't leaving until this thing was solved. Bitter silences like this could not ensue every time we saw each other for the next who knew how long.

"Stay if you want." It seemed like he was trying desperately to act like he didn't care, but something told me he hoped I would leave. Out of stubbornness I floated over and perched on his computer chair, letting my power wheel it in front of him and holding out the plate and warm box of pizza. "Thanks." He looked over to the black mini-fridge in the corner. "Want something to drink?"

Normally I would have declined. I tend to drink only herbal tea and water most of the time, but instead, desperate to keep him from going quiet again I just nodded and he stood and walked past me as though I were invisible, opening the icebox. "Root-beer, Grape Soda, Iced tea, or water?" He asked.

"Water would be nice." I'm not a talker. I don't make useless chatter and breaking silences isn't usually my thing. I prayed to every deity I had ever heard of that he would say something else.

He grabbed one, along with a Root Beer, and walked back to the bed once more sitting on it and this time taking the plate from me to exchange with the bottle of water he held out. For a while we said nothing and even my usually active inner emotions were silent in my head as he ate his pizza and I alternately sipped on my water and stared at the ceiling or floor. When there was only one piece left in the box I saw him look up at me from the corner of my eye, though I didn't turn to him. It felt like I was dealing with a scared child and If I looked at him, he might spook and drop whatever he was about to say. Instead I just waited until his deepened voice blessedly split the silence. "So...you're staying?"

Mutely I nodded, once again cursing my inability to come up with an actual worded answer. My face remained impassive as always however.

"You sure you won't just slip out one night for no reason?" That was a direct dig, but I deserved it. No indignation passed over my mind, instead a simple feeling of hollow guilt. I hate guilt.

Again, just a nod. How was I supposed to answer that one?

"Hmmph." He took a long swig of his root beer, crushing the empty can easily in one hand and tossing it to the recycle bin he kept by his door. Unlike the trash strewn everywhere I saw not a single can or bottle out of place. Beast Boy seldom took things seriously but environmental issues were different for him. That kind of stuff he cared about and I guess he should since he turned into animals all the time. "So where were you? Guess they didn't have paper there...or phones...or computers...or maybe they just had too many reasons to forget that you had friends who cared about you."

I held my emotions in check, barely. "I...did a lot of traveling...went to lots of different places." There were some things that couldn't be told. Not yet...maybe not ever. Hopefully not ever.

"I helped save our home, multiple times, and then I wondered if a certain creepy friend of mine was even still alive. Bet you didn't wonder the same about us." He sneered. Resentment. My empathy felt it everywhere, resentment, rage and an emotion I couldn't name, all tinged with a deep sorrow. He was hurt, deeply, and it was my fault.

This time I couldn't help it and I felt the tears build up behind my eyes, pulling the hood of my cloak up and standing. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea. Resolution could wait until he was more used to me being here. It could wait until I could look into his eyes without feeling guilty. It could wait forever. "I should go to bed..." My voice shook and I knew it. I think he did too because I suddenly hear him sigh and stand, setting the empty plate aside. There was no being impassive this time, not even for me, and I was glad my back was to him so he could not see my eyes clenched shut as I bit my lower lip to keep from making any sound. I would not cry. I could not cry.

"Rae...I'm sorry. That was uncalled for." His quiet voice spoke. "I know you missed us or you wouldn't have come back. I'm sorry for being a jerk, please don't..." I knew he wanted to say not to cry, but he obviously didn't want to offend me. At one time even the idea that I would cry over anything would cause me to snap his head off. Not much had changed, but now I knew that my emotions weren't something to be ashamed of. I still hid them of course, but I no longer took offense at the mere mention of me having them. Ashamed or not, I didn't want to cry.

"I deserved it...it was cruel, but I deserved it." I answered him, wrapping my arms around myself. "Just because you're the one who said it doesn't mean that the others aren't thinking it. I left. I ditched out on you guys. I ran away like a selfish stupid child."

He sighed. I didn't realize how close behind me he was until his arms were gently around my shoulders and his chin rested atop my head. "That doesn't matter. I'm sorry for being rude. It really is great to see you again, ya know? I guess I was just sorta surprised." Beast boy had once hated seeing anyone hurt. It was his nature to try and make people smile and be happy even when he wasn't himself. That hadn't changed obviously.

A part of me enjoyed the contact with him and counted the beats of his heart behind my head. A part of me was annoyed at the contact because physical contact had always annoyed me. The rest of me was simply glad that he was happy to see me. I stuck with that part and relaxed slightly. He trembled slightly and I found myself looking up to his laughing face, fangs showing clearly. "Um...Beast Boy, you okay?" His sudden descent into laughter kind of worried me.

"Fine. It just strikes me how much things have changed. I remember when hugging you would have gotten me swallowed by a dark hole of black magic or something." The green boy, more man than boy now, chuckled.

"Not completely true. I hugged you once, remember?" I noted. "After the whole Malchior fiasco..." I looked down and placed one of my hands over his arm. It was true. I would probably have had the same three inner reactions before, but back then annoyance would have won. Why did acceptance win now?

"That bastard deserved more than he got. If I got my claws on him..." Beast boy's growl got my attention and I found myself blushing at how much I liked the sound of it. Shaking the thought of that noise from my head mentally I lightly freed myself from his grasp and faced him with a small smile in place.

"Thank you...Beast Boy. I'm glad...you don't hate me." The words were completely true, if hard to say aloud. "It's late though..." As much as I hated to admit it. I was tired.

He nodded. "You're right. Sorry again for being a jerk...see you tomorrow?" the way he looked at me, almost as though he was afraid to wake up and find me not there, twanged in my heart and I nodded.

"Definitely...although..." My eyes found the clock on his computer screen. "It's already been tomorrow for a couple of hours, so I guess it's see you later." With that I waved and floated towards the door, phasing out and down the hall until I faced my own room. The worn lettering was the same and I was slightly touched by the fact that they'd never removed my name. Inside everything was as I'd left it, yet somehow untouched by dust. Someone had been cleaning in here. None of my books or objects were there since I'd taken most of them but the bed, desk, dresser, and a large ornate Armoire I favoured were. Concentrating I floated and mumbled to myself. "Azarath...Metrion...Zinthos." A large sphere of black power formed beside me and from it gently emerged three suitcases and a box. It felt a bit like cheating to put everything where it belonged using power, but I did it anyway and soon the room was almost exactly as it had been before I left. Books and strange objects filled the shelves that lined one wall while my clothes – casual and uniform – filled the armoire and dresser. A large mirror mounted itself on the last uncovered wall and I looked around in satisfaction before pacing to the large window and peeking out through heavy black velvet drapes. Jump city was a sea of beautiful lights and sleeping people right now and I enjoyed the sensation of familiarity for just a moment longer before changing and slipping into the familiar bed. It was odd, but my last thought before sleep was how BB's heart sped up when he pulled me close. I'm not sure what I dreamed, since I don't often dream unless it's prophetic, but whatever it was, I was smiling.

ooo

The sound of a familiar buzzing alarm woke me from my sleep and I sat up immediately, floating to my closet and dressing in a clean uniform before pulling on my cloak and phasing into the common room. I was the second one there, behind Robin, but the others all appeared within a minute and we stood ready in a half circle as he told us what was going on.

"Looks like Plasmas is wreaking havoc again downtown." He spoke with rolling eyes. "I swear someday we will find a way to keep that guy fully locked up without escapes."

"Fat chance. Every time we design a prison for him someone or something breaks him out." Cyborg commented, shrugging. Starfire just nodded and Beast Boy stood silently with his arms crossed. His uniform had changed slightly over the years from black with a purple shorts-suit over it to gray with a black shorts-suit, boots, and fingerless gloves. Jagged purple stripes almost like claw marks ran along the sides of the black. His dark green hair was once more in its ponytail, but I recalled how he'd looked earlier with it down, and decided I liked the long hair on him. He must have noticed me looking at him because his eyes suddenly met mine and I looked away quickly though he smiled.

"Alright Titans, either way we have our full team back together so we should be better than ever. Let's go out there and show Plasmas why he should be afraid of us!" Robin cheered. It warmed me to hear that I was part of the team still and we headed out as we once had. Robin mounted his motorcycle while Cyborg mounted a similar one that was obviously his by the tech used in it. Meanwhile Star, Beastboy and I took to the skies as the three who could fly.

The Tamaranian soared along beside me and I recalled how she had once taught me the way Tamaranians fly. Unbridled Joy of Flight, that was what she felt every time she left earth to cut through the air in that way she did. So much emotion would have exhausted me, but our powers worked in polar opposite ways. She worked with her emotions completely whilst I had to control mine or risk my power going out of control. It was strange, but perhaps that accounted for so many of the differences between our personalities. Even so, we were friends.

On my other side Beast Boy rode the currents of the air in one of his favoured forms, that of a pterodactyl. It was good to see that he still retained his boyish fascination with dinosaurs, or perhaps it was a matter of convenience. Either way the green form of that extinct creature was a blast from the past and I found myself smiling at him in an oddly contented manner until I noticed one green eye focused on me and my empathy sensed a touch of amused confusion coming from him. Immediately I turned my attention away and back to the task at hand.

When we landed the slimy form of Plasmus was there before us, complete with radioactive glowing eyes. "Now that is a face I didn't miss..." I muttered, watching for a moment to reacquaint myself with the fighting styles of my friends so that I could fit back into the attack patterns without creating problems. It may have been a good thing that I did that in fact since things had changed at least a little. Robin still charged right in with his gadgets, carried by Star even though we all knew that it wasn't often one of those toys of his actually left its mark on the liquid mass that was Plasmus. She launched him from the air and he tossed some of his exploding disks. They made a boom and bits of goop flew all over the street, enraging the charging monster as Starbolts hit him from the Tamaranian girl's eyes and hands. Cyborg braced himself, holding his right arm steady as a stream of blue cannon fire launched towards the creature and gouged a hole right through its gut. Next the green form of a mammoth charged, tearing into the slime with its tusks only to have the thing regenerate. That meant it was my turn and I intended to show the team what I'd learned in my time away.

I've never really studied my own fighting, but I've been told that my eyes glow white or black depending on what I'm doing. I'm certain they were black as I soared high above Plasmus and concentrated power in both of my hands until it crackled in sparking black spheres around them. "Azarath Metrion _Zinthos!"_ I hissed. The power flew from me and wound its way around plasmas before it formed a full dome over his grotesque form. "Return to your human form!" My power twisted and obeyed my mental commands, striking in at him from every angle of the dome and wrapping his body in tendrils of darkness and pain. Within moments he was overcome by them and he fell, shrinking as he went until the passed out form of a normal person was on the concrete. It hadn't been a particularly difficult battle but this villain was always one I could beat if I put my mind to it. Seeing the looks on their faces I felt my cheeks heating and secretly couldn't wait until we faced someone who would take more thoughtful means of destruction. As I landed on the street Robin clapped and smirked at me.

"Well done. You seem to fit the team as well as ever, I'm glad." He chuckled.

Starfire flew in circles around me, gushing about my improved control but I wasn't done yet. With concentration and the chanting of my mantra I focused my power on the street and all the damage we'd caused righted itself. Cracks in the street were mended, cars were turned back the right way and damage done to them erased as though it had never been. Street lamps righted themselves and once more glowed happily on until it appeared as though we'd never been there, but for the sleeping form of human plasmas at my feet.

Beast Boy, back in human form, smiled and nodded at me, causing my cheeks to heat further until I shook the feeling away and tilted my head. Luckily I was saved from having to speak by the arrival of the police van. They bound the villain and placed him into the chamber full of sleeping gas prepared in the back of the vehicle before thanking us and driving away.

I pitied Plasmus to tell the truth. In human form he was no threat and obviously hated his monstrous secret, however the only time he remained human was in sleep. It was a curse far worse than any of our powers. When the sleeping soul had been removed from our sight I sighed and followed the others home to the tower. It was strange perhaps to realize that it was like so many other days we'd defeated some criminal and gone home afterwards, and yet I was entirely grateful for it. What I didn't know however was that we were being watched, all of us.


	2. Chapter 2: To Dance or to Crawl

**A/N:** _I know this is a really short chapter for me, but it just felt right to end it right there. The inevitable romance in this story is developing much faster in this story than in my others but I have a feeling this one will be much shorter than those ones anyway. Anywho, enjoy Chapter 2. As usual this story is fully first draft with no editing or anything yet. You've been warned of spelling errors and run-on sentences. XD I need to update my other stories, and I will this week. Expect a new chapter of this one about every three days? Maybe? _

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**Chapter 2** – To Dance or Crawl

Upon returning to the tower I was starving, having used so much energy. Immediately I found myself drawn to the seemingly godsent fridge and opening it to find...nothing. The fridge was empty. Turning I eyed the crew. "Um...guys...we have no food." As usual my voice was toneless.

Starfire nodded. "It is Beast Boy's week to go to the Store of Grocery for foodstuffs." Even with all her years on earth the girl hadn't learned how we formulated sentences in english. I truly didn't mind, it endeared her to the rest of us in a way. I looked to the aforementioned green man and he sighed forlornly, desperately trying to appear guileless. That act had worked a lot better back when he was young and innocent looking.

"Fine fine...but I think that Raven should have to come with me for all the weeks she missed her turn." He shot at the group in general. Rather than protest or defend me, Robin simply gave me a look that said quite plainly he thought it was a good idea. Sometimes the masked genius could be wicked when it came to fairness.

indeed, it Looked like the odds were against me so I simply nodded. Beast boy left to his room for some odd reason but the mystery was solved when he returned in civilian clothes. Apparently gone were the days when none of the titans ever removed their uniforms. Even Robin was wearing jeans and a black teeshirt, though his mask was as firmly in place as ever. I had never seen him without it to be honest. The changeling gave me a look and raised one dark green brow. I guess he was wondering if I'd change into civilian clothing myself. I sighed and looked down, then sighed again. I _did_ own something other than the uniform, it just wasn't often that I wore it. In defeat I headed to my own room and changed. My reflection in the mirror seemed unfamiliar to me and I touched my own shoulder, unused to seeing myself without the familiar shadowy sheath of my leotard. I wore simple dark wash jeans, almost black, with a long black turtleneck. My belt was the same and my new communicator was clipped to it. I almost grabbed my cloak out of habit but sighed, thinking that perhaps that defeated the purpose. Either way, I got my triumphs where I could in the form of my usual fingerless gloves and the matching boots I always wore. When I finally walked out a whistle split the air and Cyborg grinned from where he stood leaning against a wall.

"Damn Rae, didn't know there was an actual person hiding underneath that cowl." He chuckled. I shot him a scathing glare but as usual it didn't seem to phase the metal man. My green companion merely rolled his eyes and motioned towards the garage door with car keys in his hand. I wondered when Cyborg had decided that Beast Boy was responsible enough to drive his "baby". He certainly never let him before I left.

Sitting in the T-car beside him I looked over. "Why the regular clothes? I mean...it's not like our skin-tones don't set us apart instantly...or your eyes...or teeth...or...ears...or.." I was trying to get a rise out of him, obviously. Usually my toneless matter-of-fact baiting had done the trick, but it seemed he was amused now rather than angered.

"I get it." He chuckled. "Civilian clothing is comfortable and I find that I end up wearing out a lot fewer uniforms." Common sense, from the king of idiots? That was new.

I shrugged. "What if something happens and you're not prepared?" I was determined to catch a flaw in his newfound intellectual stability.

"Raven, _HELLO_, I turn into _animals._ Clothes aren't really that important. It's happened a couple times but aside from getting back to the tower naked or with my clothes full of holes there really aren't that many down sides to not wearing my usual gear. That uniform is made to change _with_ me, I can't exactly do that to normal stuff." He added at my strange look.

It made sense I suppose. I guess in all the time we were fighting alongside each other I'd never once wondered exactly how he could change shape and still change back in his uniform. I knew now, but was it strange that I suddenly had a slight urge for there to be an emergency sometime when he was without the uniform?

Shaking the images of a barely clothed Beast Boy from my mind I looked at the road, ignoring the heat rising in my cheeks. I knew I should have brought that cloak, at least then I could pull the hood up. If my companion noticed my embarassment he said nothing and instead turned on some classic rock music, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel in time with an old Kiss song. The silence stretched on, comfortable for me at least, and oddly enough it seemed that way for him too. I remembered when silences would drive him crazy and he had to babble something. Apparently he'd grown up.

"So, meet any cute guys on your travels?" Or not.

I blinked in shock and just looked at him for a second. "Excuse me?" I think I hid my shock well, instead replying with a flat tone that perhaps held a bit of irritation. I was quite skilled at that particular tone. Practice makes perfect after all.

"Meet any guys, well ya know, ones that weren't trapped in books..." He chuckled. Having caught me by surprise apparently amused him, and of course the fact that he'd managed to catch my slip irritated me.

"Why's it your business?" I shot back in that same flat tone. This time the annoyance wasn't feigned.

"I don't know." He shrugged. "Maybe I'm just curious...you look kind of cute when you're all shocked and embarassed like that."

Glaring as best I could I tried to pull my hood up before realizing I wasn't wearing it and instead settled for clenching my fists on my lap and trying not to blow up the car. "A couple." I answered honestly. Returning to Jump city wasn't the first time I'd seen another Titan since leaving it. On my journies I'd crossed paths with the Herald, Jericho, Kid Flash, and even seen the whole team of the Titans East once. Each of them swore not to tell the others that I was around, but I wondered if they'd kept the secret. Not all of those encounters had been on a strictly friendly basis. The Herald and I were too similar _not_ to have hit it off and Jericho had saved my life, sparking a psuedo romance. Neither of those had led to anything more than a single kiss though. It wasn't in my nature to go all googly over a guy and though they were Titans and good friends, that was all they remained. In fact only one of my meetings had resulted in more than a kiss and it was with a regular human guy.

He eyed me for a moment then smirked and turned back to the road. "You're not gonna tell me are you?" Gee, that was a shocker. Of course I wasn't going to tell him. Did he expect me to suddenly spill all of my romantic exploits into the air for him to mock me?

"Nope. What about you...I notice they still call you Beast _boy_." I drawled, hoping to make that smug smile disappear. It didn't. In fact it might have grown a bit.

"The Titans do, but that's not what the ladies call me. To them I'm just Beast." His arrogant reply made me want to shoot something for some reason and I saw a fire hydrant behind us turn black and explode out of the corner of my eye. I hoped he didn't notice. Mentally I scolded myself for losing control in a way that hadn't occured in years. "No one serious though." Again, big surprise. Knowing him serious wasn't about to happen with anyone. Remembering his feelings for Terra and dejection after her departure, betrayal, death, and then apparent amnesiac resurrection I reconsidered my opinion. Perhaps he could have serious feelings for someone, but I doubted it was anything he'd admit to willingly.

But why did his admission that no one had been important make me feel so relieved? "Oh? Couldn't put up with your lame jokes huh?" I covered my confusion in insults. That was another common tactic that I had once used. Apparently I hadn't grown out of it.

"No. They just couldn't stand up to the girls I really cared about." He replied. Hastily he amended the statement, as though feeling I'd take it the wrong way. "I mean, what girl could seem worthwhile when I've known Star, Terra, Bumblebee and who knows how many others for so long, let alone you." His voice softened at the end there but I ignored it as I always had when that softness was directed at me. Why did it almost feel like he was insinuating that I was somehow even on a level above the rest?

"So no fooling around within the Titans?" A stupid question. I was full of those tonight it would seem.

He shook his head. "Naw. Most of the Titans are either called for or too far away for me to be with them, besides I'm the joke of the team, most of them wouldn't want me."

His odd admittance made me look up and see that his fists were clenched on the wheel and his face was set in what he thought was a blank expression. As an empath I immediately sensed the seething resentment and insecurity behind that statement. It was a part of him that had always been there, just blow the laid-back surface, but it seemed stronger at the moment than I'd ever felt it. I couldn't just sit there and say nothing, we were teammates after all.

"You're not the joke of the team." I said softly, placing my hand atop his gently as he pulled into a parking space. "You wouldn't be one of the main Titans if you were a joke and your ability really is awesome..." He scoffed and I glared. "Beast Boy, you're not a joke...not to all the people you've saved in the years, and not to me." The last part came out before I could stop it, and yet no regret lingered in my mind for having said it.

Green eyes met my purple ones and he smiled sliding his hand free, but only to place it atop mine, wrapping around it gently. A strange energy crackled in the air around us, invisible but potent and seemingly stemming from the connection of his hand squeezing mine. I knew I was blushing at this point and I looked away, sparking a chuckle from him as he dropped my hand. "Thanks Rae."

Oddly, I didn't realize he'd left the car until I heard the driver's side door close and looked up to see him walking towards the store. My hand felt strangely cold on its own but I shook the feeling away and phased through the vehicle, floating to catch up with him as he retrieved a basket. "Ven. It's one extra Syllable." I muttered, trying to recapture the spirit of grudging friendship we'd had years ago. This new energy between us confused me in more ways than one. That old one didn't.

Through the store we were pretty much silent, occasionally discussing an item or debating brand or price. When two carts overflowed I followed him to the front, pushing one of the baskets with my magic until I saw someone staring and switched to a more normal mode. It always struck me when people looked at us like they were. Jump city had been our home for years, it should have been commonplace to have superheroes around. Guess it wasn't though. Either way we paid for the groceries in peace and got back into the car. If I had thought that the strange crackling energy that had been between us would vanish in the time we were shopping I was wrong, despite my half-hearted attempt. The moment I phased back into the car and put my seatbelt on I felt it again, and by his tumbling emotions he could too. Even an empath like me couldn't separate everything he was feeling. Beast boy had always been like that, so many emotions at once that it was like mixing every colour of paint you could think of until the individual shades were completely lost. The engine revved and he looked back over at me with a strange smile on his face before we headed back to the freeway that ran towards the tower.

On the radio a song began that had always made me think of the Titans, it was called "Indestructable". I turned the volume up and its words rang through the car and my mind. Beast Boy was singing quietly under his breath, I heard, and it amazed me to see that he knew all of the words so well even though they were said so quickly in the song.

"_Another mission, the powers have called me away__  
__Another time to carry the colors again__  
__My motivation, an oath I've sworn to defend__  
__To win the honor of coming back home again..."_

Before I knew it, I was humming along as well to my own chagrin, albeit very quietly. He looked over at me and chuckled as the relatively short song ended. "I always felt like that song fit the Titans...you most of all." He spoke quietly.

His words, so reflective of what I'd been thinking, struck me and I shrugged. There were a few lines that really did resemble me I supposed. I just shrugged and considered some of the lyrics. "I don't know, some of it could be more about you..." I added.

"Guess we both do have dark destroyers within..." He spoke quietly.

We really were more alike than either of us would ever have admitted I suppose, though for some reason that didn't bother me as much as it would have before I left. To be honest, I wasn't even sure it would have bothered me then. All I knew was that I would have acted like it did regardless. Somehow it didn't feel as worth it to hide myself so much now. Maybe I'd grown out of the angst of those years or maybe I just knew that my control was improved drastically. The Tower loomed before us and the car flew easily over the water separating our little island from the rest of the city. Cyborg really was a genius when it came to building things like this, not many people could boast a flying car. Once inside we bullied Star and Robin into putting the groceries away for us, demonstrating our own brand of teamwork. It was something along the lines of Good Rae Bad Beast, and it worked wonders on those two. Personally I was under the impression that they wanted to be alone more than anything but what would I know about love?

As I lay in bed that night, I sighed, rolling over onto one side to stare out my window at the sea of city lights. Sleep eluded me so I stood, using my power to move a chair, lamp, and my current favourite book near the window. I was about to turn the lamp on, intending to bury myself in the ancient tales when a shape swooped down past my window and back up. When the light was on I could see it, a green owl flying down to the ground. Curious as to what he was doing I phased out of the window and found myself floating downwards with the book still in my arms.

Beast Boy sat in a spot he often used when he was feeling contemplative, knees drawn up to his chest as he skipped rocks. For a moment I debated on simply returning to my room. It was obvious that he was trying to think and I didn't want to disturb him. Something in me however wanted more to see him, and speak to him in the quiet of night when the lights across the bay gave his green features and eerie cast. Either way, my decision was taken from me as a breeze blew past me and I saw him sniff the air. "How long have you been floating back there?" He asked quietly. How many times had we stood there together in silent reverie? It was odd. I had many encounters with Robin on the roof in my own troubled times, but it seemed like there had been more times that the green changeling's tumbling emotions had drawn me to this place for him. Now was no different I supposed. For all the inches he'd grown he was still the same person and his body language was nearly identical to its younger counterpart I remembered so well.

I wrapped my arms around myself in the cold, glad that I wore full black flannel pajamas and floated forward to his side. "Just a second. I saw you fly past my window and got curious." My hair blew in a salty ocean breeze and I continued to walk towards him.

He smiled up at me and I found myself sitting there beside him, almost squeaking as my flannel clad backside met cold stone. Neither of us spoke for a while, simply sitting there as the gentle lap of tiny waves washed over our island's beach. It was like our words hung suspended, as fragile as spun sugar upon the air and daring to speak them aloud would shatter them. Finally however, he took the chance.

"I couldn't sleep." With those three words his voice held more emotion than I dared to admit I heard in them. Most of the time men weren't keen on having their every sentence deconstructed. In this way being an empath could be a burden. How could you not analyze someone's emotional state when it was shoved in your face so blatantly every second of the day?

Instead of shattering those spun words hanging unsaid, his voice had only reinforced them, turning spun sugar into spun glass and I turned and glanced his way. "Me neither. What kept you up?"

A gentle chuckle cascaded from him and the rock he attempted to skip sank without even jumping once. "I don't know. I guess I was just...remembering when you left." Why oh why did that have to be the topic of choice?

My heart seemed to jump but I shut it down. "I'm sorry..." The words were soft but he shook his head before they were even completely out.

"Don't be."

"Tell me." I asked quietly. "Tell me about what happened while I was gone. Tell me and...and I'll tell you about where I was." It was a serious branch of trust for me to tell him that, and I think he sensed it at the time.

For a moment he just looked at the sky, stars reflected in his emerald gaze, but too dark to discern the slitted pupils that unnerved so many people. They'd never bothered me. "I heard you leave." He admitted. I hadn't meant for him to start that specific or recall that particular night, but it seemed like he needed to. The Shape shifter was holding onto his memories of then and telling them to me would take the burden away. "That night, I was walking down the hall to the kitchen and I heard you rustling around in your room. In the morning I knocked on your door when you didn't come down for herbal tea...and you didn't answer. That was when I opened the door and saw how empty your room was..." He smiled, a sad broken reflection of the usual brilliant fanged grin. "The first thing I thought was 'Raven's room is really clean'. Then I realized it wasn't clean, it was just...barren. You were gone. I didn't know what to do so I just sat there on your floor feeling like an idiot for a while, then I saw the letters and took them to the gang..."

Hearing the story of my resignation from the Titans was saddening, even more so from him, the one person I had been most reluctant to leave. He continued then. "I...I acted strange for a couple weeks after you left."

"How?" I asked, curiously.

"I should go to bed." He stood then and looked at me. "We'll continue this conversation tomorrow night, okay?"

Speechless at his sudden unwillingness to talk I nodded and watched as he turned into an owl once more and flew up into his window of the Tower. I hadn't pushed, or so I thought. Perhaps he wasn't ready yet. I hadn't been back even 72 hours after all.

"He was broken." A voice quipped from behind me. I stood with power in each hand, whirling to face the voice. Immediately the black energy was gone however as I saw that it was only Starfire, unphased by the cold as usual and standing in her pajama shorts and a tank top. The redhead sat beside me, drawing her knees up to her chest and resting her chin on them. "For a while he did not speak often, he never told jokes...and he would walk into your room every day, hoping you'd be back..." She looked over at me then, tilting her head. "I found him sitting on your bed once, holding a book in his arms and crying. He looked up at me and said "This is the only one she left..."

The image of Beast Boy crying made me feel guilty and I felt familiar traces of self loathing beginning to form in my gut. "Is he the one who kept my room clean?"

She nodded. "Yes. He kept the dust away and changed the sheets. Whenever we would ask him why he just shrugged and said 'She'll be back and when that day comes I want her to remember that this is home, and feel like she never left.' We believed he was...clinging to a hope. After the letter you left Robin...we were sure you would never return."

My friend looked sad and I reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'm not leaving again Star, ever." I remembered the words from my note to Robin. That one had been longer than the others just because it also contained more guilt and my formal resignation. Robin and I had a bond, he knew me better than anyone I believe. Of course the note would make him think I was gone for good. I had sincerely believed that I was, regardless of the assurances in Star and Cy's notes.

"Beast Boy still has the note you left him." She revealed. I must have looked a bit taken aback because she smiled. "He keeps it with him at all times, tucked in his communicator. I have seen him take it out on occasion when he thinks no one is watching and read it." Her face then became curious in that natural tamaranian unfamiliarity with earth. "What did you write?"

A small, sad smile tugged at the corners of my mouth as I recited exactly what had been in his letter. It was the shortest of all the ones I had written, as though I feared my feelings would bleed into the ink and become visible to him. "I wrote..:

_This isn't goodbye Beast Boy, it's see you later._

–_Raven _

_PS: You aren't as funny as you think you are, but you do make me laugh sometimes...Garfield."_

She looked at me in curiosity, obviously expecting more. After all, her letter had been a whole page front and back. "You included his real name?"

I turned to Starfire, in all of her alien beauty and innocence. "No. His real name is Beast Boy...I just included the name he was born with."


	3. Chapter 3: Drowning in a wishing well

Chapter 3 – Drowning in a Wishing well

The beat of waves against the shore slowly vanished around me as I meditated. After a few moments all sensation was gone, the warmth of a rising sun, the brush of sea air, the slight mist upon my grey skin, everything faded to blackness. It wasn't the frightening blackness that you might think, rather it was welcoming, familiar, and a calm settled over every particle of myself. "Azarath Metrion Zinthos..." I chanted the words in a quiet voice, floating a few feet from the surface of the tower roof. They say that words lose their meaning if you use them too often but I know that's not true. How many times had I chanted that same phrase for one reason or another? Countless. Yet each time it brought me a sort of inner peace that nothing else could achieve. My power gathered around me in that dark place, tendrils conforming themselves to my orders and once more settling in under the mantle of my control. I had learned much in my time away from the tower but it did not stop me from needing this daily ritual. It was the nature of my powers to fight me, try to consume me. If I did this in the morning then there was one more day that they had to obey. I could skip a day, occasionally, but I knew that for the rest of my life I would need to meditate and in reality, I didn't mind it. Meditation gave me an outlet for my thoughts and emotions, a time when no one would disturb me.

"Raven?"

Almost no one anyway. "Yes Robin." My voice was flat and I did not open my eyes or change position at all to look at him.

"Cy finally got around to making you a new communicator and putting your info back into the tower's security system, you shouldn't have to be with one of us to enter anymore. Your new communicator is right here when you're done meditating, okay?"

I smiled, slightly. "Thanks Robin. I'll be done in a bit." I answered him. His footsteps retreated and my mind once more went blank, though I did stop for long enough to clip the shiny new communicator onto my belt. I would spend some time examining it and familiarizing myself with the new features sometime in the afternoon.

The timing of the titan alarm couldn't have been more perfect as I was on my way back into the tower, feeling refreshed for the day. With no hesitance I made my way to the common room and found Robin staring at the large plasma screen. How he got there first every single time I had no idea, but he did. "Looks like there's something downtown, no idea what it could be though..." He said quietly. "It took out the cameras and my sensors indicate it's something we haven't seen before."

A new enemy? That was intriguing. I was about to reply when the others filed in behind me, hearing the same speech I had from our leader. Instead I held my tongue. The decision was made and I just nodded when we were sent out to fight the good fight. It was our job after all.

In the air I closed my eyes and simply allowed myself to be, feeling the cool rush of morning wind in my hair. Looking over I noticed Starfire's emerald gaze on me and gave what passed for my version of a smile.

"You look...different than before." She finally noted.

Blinking, I studied myself as best I could from that angle. "Well I am older, but I don't think I've changed that much." I answered her.

The alien princess shook her head. "No, that is not what I meant. I mean that you look...content. You look like you have more of the confidence and..." She tried to figure out the word, probably translating it from her own language. "On my planet we would say that you have changed from a Fludran to a Blumdarg...it means..." Once again she pondered language barriers. "It means that you have learned more of yourself and become...an adult I guess."

An adult? Was I really? I suppose I had always been the most quiet of the others, mature in my own way and yet immature in others. Was I really all that different? "Well...I am more confident I guess." Came my indifferent answer. "You've changed too Star. Everyone has."

She nodded eagerly. "Indeed. I am simply...happy to see that the things that made us all so close have remained the same, and perhaps even evolved." Her smile was radiant, like almost everything about her. No one could possibly look at Starfire and think she was anything but beauty and kindness incarnate, well except our enemies.

"Maybe we've all become...Blumdargs was it?" I replied.

The tamaranian was saved from replying as we landed on scene before a strange sight. There were three people before us, two I recognized and one I did not. At the forefront stood the all too familiar form of Gizmo, grown into a teenager now but still using one of his absurd spider-like gadgets as his legs. He was still scrawny, even at however old he was now and I noticed the slight amusement on Cyborg's face when he saw that his annoying rival was completely...for lack of better word...a nerd.

By his side was a similarly socially unacceptable villain. Grotesquely round and grease-faced, control freak looked as though he were still living in his mother's basement. His ruddy and pimple covered maw split into a grin upon seeing us and he waved his arms, no doubt about to start one of his usual speeches about how we were his arch nemisis or something. As always I only listened to the first few words. He sounded more like a fanboy than a villain, still.

It was the shrouded figure in the back that gave me pause. Beneath the depths of a white cloak were light blue eyes I knew looked familiar and yet I could not place them. The rest of the figure's face was covered and they wore sleek light grey armor of some modern material. The rest of the titans seemed intrigued by this mysterious person as well and I looked to Robin for guidance. He gave a nod and with his usual dismissal of "Titan's Go!" we were off.

Personally, I struck for Gizmo. His gadgets could short circuit Cyborg and that would greatly weaken us. It was my aim to make sure that didn't happen. As my power surrounded the joints on his spidery legs he growled some immature obscenity at me and shot bolts from a lazer cannon. They met my power with minimal resistance and I continued working at the metal appendages.

My power stopped short however as a blast from Control Freak's remote hit me squarely in my unguarded side. It didn't hurt, but that distraction was enough to make me fly back a few feet. Growling under my breath I levitated a nearby mailbox and hurled it at the T.V addict before turning my attentions back to Gizmo. Beast boy was there already, keeping him occupied in his gorilla form. Two of the spidery legs were clenched in those giant green fists and the poor villain was squirming in fear of the fangs displayed by the huge primate. Or maybe it was Beast Boy's gorilla breath. Either way he was scared. I took the chance again and let myself concentrate on those bolts, careful to guard myself this time. It was a good thing because immediately I felt power rush at me again and turned. There was no way that sinister energy had come from either of the geeks so I looked to the hooded figure and stared. He, or she if she was flat chested, stood completely still, not having moved from the moment we'd shown up. It seemed impossible to me that through all of our attacks he hadn't been hit once by any of us but it was obviously true. That needed to be fixed.

Black energy gathered around me and I chanted my signature phrase quietly. "Azarath...metrion..._zinthos!_" Two light posts near the figure rose and struck out at him like massive baseball bats. The figure did not move. He, I had decided it was male by then, only blinked and they dropped to the ground. _Impossible! _What could turn my power off like that? I would just have to try harder. Thankfully I watched as Star jumped on the bandwagon and hurled her green fury at him in the form of spherical bolts. As she attacked from one side I did from the other, sending pure power this time and letting it lash at him in a steady stream from my hands. This time he moved and the slight widening of his eyes showed that he wasn't expecting such strength from either of us. Both of his hands lashed out, flat palms in our directions and I felt my power fighting against an invisible force as Star's simply vanished upon meeting his hand. I nodded to my alien friend and she focused a steady stream of that lime hued energy from her eyes. Together we pushed, each of us clearly forcing our power harder against him. At first he seemed confident, then slowly I watched as his eyes continued to widen and his arms began to tremble. I pushed more, making my power flow beyond what it had in quite a while and forcing it against him.

I was tiring quickly and from the corner of my eye I knew that Star was as well. If that wasn't bad enough it almost seemed as though the other villains had grown stronger. Normally Robin would have no problem with Control Freak yet he was struggling to avoide adeptly placed light-saber strikes from the materialized form of Darth Vader. The remote obsessed fat man himself looked to be surrounded by a globe of clear energy, untouchable. Gizmo was similarly shielded and Beast Boy's T-rex form was trying in vain to chew through it was Cyborg aimed shot after shot, only to have them absorbed. My power was almost gone so I abruptly cut it off and Flew at full speed towards the figure instead. At the last minute I pulled up and saw shock register in his eyes as my foot came out in a kick. It caught him squarely in the chest and I watched him fly backwards, sliding down the street and landing with a dull thud against a car. The spheres of protection vanished and I realized they had stemmed from the stranger. That made me even more curious.

Almost as one mind Starfire and I flew at him, twining together in mid air before landing over his seemingly unconscious form with power in our hands.

The cloak was down and he lay with locks of white hair splayed over an almost femininely beautiful face. I knew that face. So often I'd seen it portrayed in illustrations and I gasped, backing away as Malchior opened his eyes and smiled cruelly.

Starfire however wasn't one to be taken by surprise as easily as I and she punched downwards with her monstrous strength, only to be stopped by another of those indestructible spheres of energy. I had thought him bound and Malchior knew it, smiling from that beautiful humanoid face. The evil dragon in a human form, that thought chilled me even more than knowing he was free, in a way. That put a face far more intimidating on him than that of a dragon. In my mind a dragon was a creature, a beast very capable of evil but somehow lessened in how much it frightened me. Humans however...those were the true monsters in the world. Standing he brushed nonexistant dirt from himself and now all of the Titans were staring at us. "It appears you have all grown far beyond what our employer had envisioned..." He toned. His voice was smooth as I remembered it and a chill went down my spine. "Farewell Titans...we shall return."

I struck out recklessly with power. "You're not going anywhere!"

Of course it bounced off of him and in a flash of brilliant white light he and the other two were gone, leaving only a very confused team of super heroes in their wake.

ooo

At the tower we all stood in a semi circle with Robin as usual at the center. He paced slowly and my mind reeled. As he knew he would the man turned to me with his face set in stone. I cursed that mask of his, keeping his expression mostly unreadable. "You know Malchior. Why's he here? How is he not sealed? What's he want?" He asked the questions in rapid succession and I could tell in his tone of voice that he felt this sudden reappearance of both me and that fiend was no coincidence. He was wrong. I had no idea why the dragon man was back and I tried to say as much.

"Robin. I knew him back then and all of what he was was a lie. I don't know how he got out...you have to believe me." My voice was flat as usual but something in there did rise a bit.

He sighed and ran one green gloved hand through those impossibly spiky black locks of his. "I don't know Rae. You gotta admit it seems too –"

"If she says she has nothing to do with it, she's got nothing to do with it." Beast boy's voice was strong and he placed one large hand on my shoulder.

I know my face heated but I ignored it and forced those questionable feelings down before looking up at him gratefully. "It's true Robin. I don't know anything."

The justice addict we called our leader just sighed and nodded. "Then we need to figure out exactly what his weak points are. You are our only expert on that kind of power Rae, your books better be unpacked because we'll all be cracking them."

I nodded. "They're all yours. If there's anything in there to help us in the next fight we'll find it."

"Meanwhile we might wanna consider calling some of our outside friends who know about that spooky shit." Cyborg suggested. "Jinx maybe?"

"Yes, our allies might know things we do not! I shall send out a broadcast immediately!" Starfire announced, floating away to the computer bank and putting on the headset.

My books floated up through the floor in neat stacks surrounded by my power and I gestured to them. "That's every tome I've got. That stack on the left contains the ones that Malchior taught me from when he was here last time in order to free himself."

Robin stroked his chin. "Then that's where we should start. Raven and I will get going on these. Cy start searching the net for anything useful. BB, you need to search the city and see if you can find any buzz about them. Keep hidden and don't engage under any circumstances, okay?"

I was slightly relucant to watch the green man go but he saluted and disappeared out the door. That just left myself and Robin surrounded by a sea of pages. With so many books it was slow going but he was a super genius and I'd read these particular volumes hundreds of times so perhaps we were the best ones for this job.

The Teen Titans were going to find out what Malchior wanted and how he'd returned but for some reason I couldn't stop thinking of his words. '_Our Employer' _They weren't acting alone and I wanted to know who was pulling the strings. When I found out I vowed I'd crush him, for my friends.


End file.
